Torch Fail

Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy is in day four of a cold. Day 1: sore throat. Day 2: congested head. Day 3: sneezing. Day 4: coughing. While most of South America is tossing water balloons, wrapping themselves with streamers, and partying late into the night (Carnival celebrations started this past Thursday and last until this coming Tuesday), I find myself in bed nursing this cold.

Last night, I found myself watching the first night’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. All I can say is one word: ouch! All of that white snow and freezing temperatures was so frightening, that I had to cover all of my joints so that they couldn’t see the television screen. (Think: little children at a horror flick.) Then they started showing some preliminary ski jumps. Everytime the skier landed back on the ground, I could not help from feeling a wave of pain pass through my body…just the thought of landing on my feet from that height made me shudder. (Hey, what can I say? Swinging my feet over the side of the bed and dropping them a few inches onto the ground is often painful enough!)

As many of us now know, one arm of the indoor torch/cauldron contraption did not work as expected…leaving the torch bearers to wait and wait as the music played on. Finally, the producers decided to proceed with only three of the four arms. News of this mishap immediately started spreading around the web. Twitter had #torchfail. Articles reported the hydraulic problem. Television commentators started talking about how the “real” cauldron lighting was still to come.

Just when it was most important for everything to function without a hitch, something critical did not want to move into place.

Deep down inside, I chuckled slightly. Living with rheumatoid arthritis, I know this feeling all to well. I have my torch fails on a frequent basis. While they are not broadcast to a worldwide audience, in the end I end up having to do the same that they did in Vancouver last night: accept that it’s not going to work at this moment, and do my best to continue moving forward.

very well said! I was thinking some of same things- seeing all those crazy ski jumps and snowboarding moves always make me cringe, and just thinking about being that cold in that much snow- shiver. oh wait, there’s actually that much snow outside my window. . .

Thanks, hopefully my body will get out of this slump sometime soon – in the past month I’ve had food poisoning, a RA flare, and now this 4+ day cold. The good thing, with the Carnival holidays, I have a four day weekend!

Sara, yeah I’ve been hearing about all the snow. Hope you dig out soon. When I lived in Boston for grad school once we got three snowstorms in a row – you could no longer even recognize streets/sidewalks/cars/etc. Once someone dug out their car, they guarded their spots carefully with trash cans, broom sticks, signs, etc…it was always a site to see!

Like mother, like son…I, too, am nursing a cold that started the same day as yours, Mi’jo…and as I read your descriptions of Days 1-4 they were identical to mine!! Not the first time that I can say “like mother, like son”…as just as recent as our recent visit there with you (when we spent Christmas & New Year’s holidays) I woke up one morning with one of my right-hand fingers stiff and hurting badly. It’s funny how just one little joint can affect so many things! Luckily by the following day I was okay, but that one day was bad enough–it limited a lot of things “that I couldn’t do” which I normally do. I couldn’t help but think of you constantly that day…thinking if one little stiff finger was so bad how much worse things are for you a lot of the times!! Love you, Son–HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY.